Stuart's Opera House to get state arts funding

According to a press release, local arts organizations receiving funds include:

Stuart’s Opera House Inc., Nelsonville, $11,977.43

Bowen House, Logan, $3,005

The grant program was created in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly as part of a bill sponsored by Sen. George Lang (R-West Chester) which was later merged into House Bill 45. A total of $50 million is available through the program, with a second round of funding to be announced in coming weeks.

Funding can be used to help pay for employee compensation, excluding bonuses; employee recruitment, rehiring, and training expenses; rent or mortgage payments; and operating costs.

More than 400 organizations applied for the grants by the March 31 deadline. To be eligible for grant consideration, applicants must meet one of the conditions below.

• Performing arts organizations that produce or present performance in music, comedy, the performing arts, or related fields.

• Cultural arts museums that have a primary purpose related to exhibiting property for artistic or aesthetic purposes, including painting, drawing, design, sculpture making, ceramic making, printmaking, photography, video and filmmaking, graphic design, architecture, textiles, performing arts or preserving and interpreting the history, art, and culture of popular music and multidisciplinary art forms.

The program is funded as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and awards were calculated based on organizations’ loss in revenue from 2019 to 2020 and 2021 and their 2022 operating budget. For more information about the program, visit Development.Ohio.Gov/ArtsGrant.